Ritualistic Warfare

Mira Donnelly

Translator A AI

Summary

"Ritualistic Warfare" explores the multifaceted nature of indigenous warfare, revealing it as far more than simple aggression. It delves into the symbolic meanings and socio-political functions embedded within these conflicts, highlighting their role in shaping tribal alliances, social order, and identity.

 
The book emphasizes that warfare in indigenous societies was a structured activity governed by complex cultural codes, not merely chaotic violence. The book examines formalized combat practices, ceremonial preparations, and post-conflict rituals, each infused with cultural significance. For example, warfare communicated values, status, and cosmological beliefs. It fostered social cohesion, defined tribal boundaries, and maintained power dynamics.

 
The book progresses from introducing key concepts and anthropological perspectives to analyzing case studies from the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. Warriors, weapons, battlegrounds, gender roles, and social hierarchies are all examined to demonstrate how ritualized conflicts shaped intertribal relationships.

 
What sets this book apart is its emphasis on understanding conflict from the emic perspective, prioritizing indigenous interpretations and avoiding Western frameworks. By drawing from ethnographic accounts, archaeological findings, oral histories, and early colonial records, it offers a nuanced understanding of indigenous warfare, connecting to broader fields like political science, sociology, and religious studies.

Available since: 03/29/2025.

Print length: 64 pages.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Other books that might interest you

The Ward - The Life and Loss of...

John Lorinc, Michael McClelland,...

The story of the growth and destruction of Toronto's first 'priority neighbourhood.'
   
From the 1840s until the Second World War, waves of newcomers who migrated to Toronto – Irish, Jewish, Italian, African American and Chinese, among others – landed in 'The Ward.' Crammed with rundown housing and immigrant-owned businesses, this area, bordered by College and Queen, University and Yonge streets, was home to bootleggers, Chinese bachelors, workers from the nearby Eaton';s garment factories and hard-working peddlers. But the City considered it a slum, and bulldozed the area in the late 1950s to make way for a new civic square.
   
The Ward finally tells the diverse stories of this extraordinary and resilient neighbourhood through archival photos and contributions from a wide array of voices, including historians, politicians, architects, story-tellers, journalists and descendants of Ward residents. Their perspectives on playgrounds, tuberculosis, sex workers, newsies and even bathing bring The Ward to life and, in the process, raise important questions about how contemporary cities handle immigration, poverty and the geography of difference.
   
‘The Ward shines a light on one of Toronto's most historically significant and most forgotten neighbourhoods. Instead of a straight history, the book's editors opted to present the Ward through multiple short essays, each with its own unique point of view. The result is a fascinating and varied look at an area that once concurrently defined the city and acted as its biggest shame. As a result of the Ward's eventual razing, there are few artifacts left to teach newer generations about this important part of Toronto's history. This book helps correct that.’
   
– 2016 Toronto Book Awards Jury Citation
   
'[The Ward] should be of interest to Canadians anywhere, reminding us that we all came from some place else.'
   
– Michael Enright, CBC Sunday Edition
   
Contents & Contributors
   
Introduction – John Lorinc
   
Searching for the Old Ward – Shawn Micallef
   
No Place Like Home – Howard Akler
   
Beforethe Ward: Macauleytown – Stephen A. Otto
   
My Grandmother the Bootlegger – Howard Moscoe
   
Against All Odds: The Chinese Laundry – Arlene Chan
   
VJ Day – Arlene Chan
   
Merle Foster's Studio: 'A Spot Of Enchantment' – Terry Murray
   
Missionary Work: The Fight for Jewish Souls – Ellen Scheinberg
   
King of the Ward – Myer Siemiatycki
   
Where the Rich Went for Vice – Michael Redhill
   
A Fresh Start: Black Toronto in the 19th Century – Karolyn Smardz Frost
   
Policing the Lord’s Day – Mariana Valverde
   
'The Maniac Chinaman' – Edward Keenan
   
Elsie's Story – Patte Roseban
   
Lawren Harris's Ward Period – Jim Burant
   
'Fool's Paradise': Hastings' Anti-Slum Crusade – John Lorinc
   
Strange Brew: The Underground Economy of Blind Pigs – Ellen Scheinberg
   
The Consulate, the Padroni and the Labourers – Andrea Addario
   
Excerpt: The Italians in Toronto – Emily P. Weaver
   
Arthur Goss: Documenting Hardship– Stephen Bulger
   
Fresh Air: The Fight Against TB – Cathy Crowe
   
The Stone Yard – Gaetan Heroux
   
William James: Toronto's First Photojournalist – Vincenzo Pietropaolo
   
The Avenue Not Taken – Michael McClelland
   
Timothy Eaton’s Stern Fortifications – Michael Valpy
   
Settling In: Central Neighbourhood House – Ratna Omidvar & Ranjit Bhaskar
   
Toronto’s Girl with the Curls – Ellen Scheinberg
   
Chinese CafÃ©s: Survival and Danger – Ellen Scheinberg & Paul Yee
   
Defiance and Divisions: The Great Eaton's Strike – Ruth A. Frager
   
Elizabeth Street: What the City Directories Reveal – Denise Balkissoon
   
Growing Up on Walton Street – Cynthia MacDougall
   
Revitalizing George Street: The Ward's Lessons – Alina Chatterjee & Derek Ballantyne
   
Taking Care of Business in the Ward &ndash Ellen Scheinberg
   
'A Magnificent Dome': The Great University Avenue Synagogue – Jack Lipinsky
   
Reading the Ward: The Inevitability of Loss – Kim Storey & James Brown
   
Toronto’s First Little Italy – John Lorinc
   
The Elizabeth Street Playground, Revisited – Bruce Kidd
   
Divided Loyalties – Sandra Shaul
   
Crowded by Any Measure – John Lorinc
   
A Peddler and His Cart: TheWard’s Rag Trade – Deena Nathanson
   
Toronto's Original Tenement: Wineberg Apartments – Richard Dennis
   
Excerpt: Tom Thomson's Diary – Tom Thomson
   
An Untimely Death – Brian Banks
   
Paper Pushers – Ellen ScheinbergÂ 
   
The BMR's Wake-Up Call – Laurie Monsebraaten
   
Excerpt: Report of the Medical Health Officer … – Charles J. Hastings
   
Dr. Clarke's Clinic – Thelma Wheatley
   
Slum-Free: The Suburban Ideal – Richard Harris
   
The Glionna Clan and Toronto's First Little Italy – John E. Zucchi
   
'The Hipp' – Michael Posner
   
Before Yorkville– John Lorinc
   
Sex Work and the Ward’s Bachelor Society – Elise Chenier
   
Public Baths: Schvitzing on Centre AvenueÂ – Ellen Scheinberg
   
The Health Advocates: McKeown on Hastings – John Lorinc
   
Remembering Toronto's First Chinatown – Kristyn Wong-Tam
   
Tabula Rasa – Mark Kingwell
   
Unrealized RenewalÂ  – J. David Hulchanski
   
A Short History of the 'Civic Square' Expropriation – John Lorinc
   
Storytelling is Part of the Story – Tatum Taylor
   
How We Think About What (Little) Survives – Patrick Cummins
   
Institutional Memory – Scott James & Victor Russell
   
Alternative Histories – MichaelMcClelland

Show book

I'm Tired of Racism - True...

Sharon Hurley Hall

To feel empathy, you need to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. If the experiences of racism in a white supremacist system seem too far away from your daily reality, I'm Tired of Racism will change that. If you think of racism as something that only happens where you are, I'm Tired of Racism will change that, too. And if you're wondering how you can be a true ally and avoid performative nonsense, this book is an excellent starting point.
I'm Tired of Racism collects many of Sharon Hurley Hall's anti-racism essays, sharing her global perspective on racism, anti-racism, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy, born out of experiences in the Caribbean, the UK, the US and elsewhere. Hurley Hall has lived and worked in multiple countries, enabling her to accurately reflect what's the same and what's different about experiences of racism in different locations.
Buy this book today to learn more about racism and to start your allyship journey.
About the author
Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism activist, writer, and educator. Firmly committed to doing her part to eliminate racism, she is the Founder and Curator-in-Chief of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter. A writer with more than 30 years' experience, Sharon is also the author of Exploring Shadeism, an analysis of colorism in Barbados and the wider Caribbean. Sharon holds MA degrees in Media and Cultural Studies, and in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Praise for I'm Tired of Racism:
"The power in this book comes from Sharon's ability to articulate something many people may feel or wonder about, but perhaps have not yet gained clarity as to the underlying dynamics truly at play."
"Sharon has a knack for condensing her lived experience with racism into concise essays that pack emotional power."
"If you're Black, you've found an advocate. If you're white, this is an educational book."

Show book

Decoding Jung's Metaphysics -...

Bernardo Kastrup

More than an insightful psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung was the twentieth century's greatest articulator of the primacy of mind in nature, a view whose origins vanish behind the mists of time. Underlying Jung's extraordinary body of work, and providing a foundation for it, there is a broad and sophisticated system of metaphysical thought. This system, however, is only implied in Jung's writings, so as to shield his scientific persona from accusations of philosophical speculation. The present book scrutinizes Jung's work to distil and reveal that extraordinary, hidden metaphysical treasure: for Jung, mind and world are one and the same entity; reality is fundamentally experiential, not material; the psyche builds and maintains its body, not the other way around; and the ultimate meaning of our sacrificial lives is to serve God by providing a reflecting mirror to God's own instinctive mentation. Embodied in this compact volume is a journey of discovery through Jungian thoughtscapes never before revealed with the depth, force, and scholarly rigor you are about to encounter.

Show book

Breaking the Cycle of Silence -...

Daniel L. Pearse

Breaking the Cycle of Silence is an introduction into child sexual abuse and child sexual abuse prevention. The latest statistics tell us that one out of three girls and one out of six boys will be sexually abused before the age of eighteen, destroying their lives in ways we can't even imagine. We also know that 90 percent of the time victims know their abuser.  
     Daniel Pearse is living proof of both these statistics. He and his brother were sent to live with a pedophile after their mother died. For nine years, Daniel suffered sexual, physical, emotional, mental and verbal abuse at the hands of his tormentor.  
Like many abused children, Daniel then suffered in silence for decades as an adult. Now he's committed to stopping the cycle of abuse that causes so much pain. 
     Breaking the Cycle of Silence recounts Daniels harrowing story, gives his opinions on how to eliminate child sexual abuse, offers introductory educational  resources for the prevention of child sexual abuse. How to recognize child sexual abuse, disclosure and support for victims of child sexual abuse.  
     Breaking the Cycle of Silence proposes age-appropriate child sexual abuse prevention training and education in schools. It teaches children what is appropriate, shows adults the signs of abuse to look for, and offers sources for support for victims. With such training and education, we can identify and stop abusers, preventing them from claiming victim after victim for years.

Show book

The Woman's Book of Joy - Listen...

Eileen Campbell

Experience Serenity and Hope Daily“The Woman’s Book of Joy is like a comforting friend supporting us in our struggles.” —Mandy Keast-Southall, therapist and yoga teacherWhen you learn to tap into the deep wellspring of joy that is within you, nothing is impossible.A book of joy. Women have a great many challenges to deal with in their lives. Among the most ubiquitous of those challenges is self-care. Too often, we are focused on caring for others and not ourselves. Low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression are all too common when our lives are less fulfilling than they could be. Yet deep within, women have a tremendous spiritual resource―a capacity for real joy that is not dependent on anything external. It is always available, regardless of circumstances.Find your inner spirituality. Many self-help books can lead people into further self-judgement. Instead, The Woman’s Book of Joy encourages and inspires women to care more deeply for themselves and to face life’s challenges with courage and joy. It’s a practical motivational book for accessing inner wisdom, enhancing self-esteem, overcoming sorrow, and deepening relationships.Thinking deeply. The meditations and affirmations in this book will provide you with the opportunity to contemplate a wide range of topics, including:Developing awarenessLetting goBelieving in your dreamsLiving in the nowFinding your true purposePracticing kindnessBeing optimisticTrusting the universeAppreciating life’s blessingsIf you found joy in meditation books and inspirational books for women like I've Been Thinking…, Journey to the Heart, and Each Day a New Beginning, you’ll be encouraged and uplifted by The Woman's Book of Joy.

Show book

Conquistadors: The Lives and...

Editors Charles River

During the Age of Exploration, some of the most famous and infamous individuals were Spain’s best known conquistadors. Naturally, as the best known conquistador, Hernán Cortés is also the most controversial. Like Christopher Columbus before him, Cortés was lionized for his successes for centuries without questioning his tactics or motives, while indigenous views of the man have been overwhelmingly negative for the consequences his conquests had on the Aztecs and other natives in the region. Just about the only thing everyone agrees upon is that Cortés had a profound impact on the history of North America. Of course, the lionization and demonization of Cortés often take place without fully analyzing the man himself, especially because there are almost no contemporaneous sources that explain what his thinking and motivation was. If anything, Cortés seemed to have been less concerned with posterity or the effects of the Spanish conquest on the natives than he was on relations with the Mother Country itself.  
	If Columbus and Cortés were the pioneers of Spain’s new global empire, Pizarro consolidated its immense power and riches, and his successes inspired a further generation to expand Spain’s dominions to unheard of dimensions. Furthermore, he participated in the forging of a new culture: like Cortés, he took an indigenous mistress with whom he had two mixed-race children, and yet the woman has none of the lasting fame of Cortés’s Doña Marina. With all of this in mind, it is again remarkable that Pizarro remains one of the less well-known and less written about of the explorers of his age. On the other hand, there are certain factors that may account for the conqueror of Peru’s relative lack of lasting glory. Cortés’s reputation was built on being the first to overthrow a great empire, so Pizarro’s similar feat, even if it bore even greater fruit in the long run, would always be overshadowed by his predecessor’s precedent.

Show book